The Nepal packing list we actually give our travellers
Almost everyone overpacks for Nepal, then carries it up a lot of stairs. This is the list we send travellers, and it is deliberately short.
For any trip
- Layers rather than bulk — a fleece and a windproof shell beat one heavy coat.
- Comfortable shoes you have already worn in. You will walk more than you expect.
- Modest clothing for temple visits — shoulders and knees covered.
- Sunscreen and real sunglasses. The sun at altitude is harsher than it feels.
- A refillable water bottle plus purification tablets or a filter.
- Small denomination cash, and more of it than feels necessary.
- A power bank. Charging is not always available or free.
- Basic medicines — your own prescriptions, rehydration salts, plasters.
If you are trekking
- Broken-in boots. This is the one item you should never buy on arrival.
- A sleeping bag rated properly for the altitude you will sleep at.
- A headtorch with spare batteries — for pre-dawn starts and unlit teahouse corridors.
- Trekking poles. Your knees will thank you on the descent more than on the climb.
- A sleeping bag liner, quick-dry towel, and more socks than seems reasonable.
What to leave behind
Formal clothes, a hairdryer, more than one book, and anything you would be upset to lose. Nepal is informal, laundry is cheap and quick in the cities, and every gram counts once you are walking with it.
One thing people always forget
Photocopies of your passport and permits, kept separately from the originals, plus a photo of both on your phone. It costs nothing and it turns a genuine crisis into a minor administrative afternoon.